Automatic control for accounting machines



Jan. 5, 1954 A, H. sHARPE AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed NOV. 18, 1950 /A/VEN7OR ARTHUR H SHARPE ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 5, 1954 AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Arthur H. Sharpe, West Hartford, Conn., assgnor to Underwood Corporation, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of Delaware Application/November 18, 1950, SerialNo. 196,450

4 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to accounting machines of the type comprising a computing section and a typewriting section. The particular type of machine over which this invention constitutes an improvement is shown and'described in Patents Numbers 2,192,365, 2,372,681 and 2,398,395, all in the name of Henry L. Pitman.

It is an object of this invention to provide, in an accounting machine comprising a computing base section surmounted by a typewriting machine and having automatic means for determining the function of the machine in various work sheet columnar positions of the typewriter carriage, an arrangement whereby all automatic controls are carried by the base section of the machine.

Other objects, features and advantages will become apparent as the description oi a preferred embodiment of the invention proceeds Referring now to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of anr accounting machine constructed in accordance with this invention, and

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the automatic controlv mechanism showing the manner of detachably connecting a control unit to the typewriter carriage.

The complete machine according to this invention comprises a base section I0, containing computing mechanism. The details of the computing mechanism form no part of this invention, but such mechanism may conveniently be constructed in the manner shown and described in any one of the above mentioned Pitman patents.

Surmounting the base or computing section is a power-driven typewriting machine generally designated II, having a. standard. keyboard I2, and a transversely movable carriage I3, mounted (Cl. 23S-60.5)

tied together by a plurality of cross members, three of which are shown in Fig; 1 at I9, 2U, and 2|. A pair of posts 22, only one of which is shown, are secured to the cross member 2| and these posts are held firmly in an upright position by a pair of tie bars 23, only one of which is shown, which extend between the tops of the posts and the cross member 20.

A bracket plate 24 extends substantially the width of the rear side of the typewriter and is provided at its lower edge with a ange 25 through the intermediary of which said plate is secured to the Cross member 20 by means of screws 26. The bracket plate is provided with an upper pair of bent-out ears 21, only one of which is shown and a lower pair 28, only one of which is shown.

A control tower or box 29 is secured to and carried by the pairs of ears 21 and 28 and is supported at its lower rear edge by a pair of angles 30, again only one being shown, one arm of each angle resting upon and secured to one of the tie bars 23. The control tower 29 corresponds to the housing 124 of the patent to Pitman 2,192,365, referred to above and shown particularly well in Fig. 5 of said patent.

As described in the Patent No. 2,192,365, said control tower carries a plurality of depressible function control devices. Some of said function control devices are indicated in Fig. 1 at 3|, and

0 it will be understood that it is the depression of appropriate ones of these devices that determines which of the various registers are to be operated in, whether addition or subtraction is to be performed, etc., all as explained in the Pitman Patent No. 2,192,365.

A pair of brackets inl the form of castings 32 and 33 are secured to the base section I0, one bracket being mounted upon each of the side plates I8 and secured thereto by means of screws on the usual front rail I4 and rear rollers I5, and o 34, In Fig, 1, the bracket 32, on the right hand carrying the usual cylindrical platen I6. The details of construction of the typewriter are not a part of this invention but same vmay advantageously be either of the type shown in ther above Pitman patents or of the type shown in the pata ent to Yaeger, No. 2,393,441.

The particular machine shown in the drawing has an adapter unit I1 mounted between theV typewriter and the computing base for purposes of transmitting the movement of the numeral keys to indexing means in the computing base, and for translating register indications in the base into operation of the numeral keys, but since the details of construction of this adapter unit form no part-of the present invention, the details have not been shown. As a matter of fact, the present invention is just as applicable to the machine shown in the above mentioned Pitman patents as it is to the machine shown in the present drawing.

The base section'l comprises a pair'of side plates or castings I8, only one oi which is shown,

side of the machine is shown broken away and the left hand bracket 33 is shown indotted lines. The upper rear edge of each bracket 32 and 33 is provided with an offset portion 35 and an elongated member 36 is secured to these offset portions by means of screws or otherwise. Collars 31 serve to space the member 36 rearwardly from the offset portions 35. The upper edge of the member 36 is bent over to provide a rail 38.

An angle bar 39 is secured to a flange 40 provided at the upper edge of the bracket plate 24 and to enlarged portions 4I of the brackets 32l and 33 as shown in both gures of the drawing. Spaced along the vertical arm of the angle bar 5 39 are pairs of rollers y42 and 43. The pairs of a series of column control devices 58- on saidv frame.

The column control devices 58 and the control unit 44 may be constructed substantially as shown in the patent to Pitman, No. 2,160,4871 Each of the devices 50 is provided with a pair of members 5l for embracing the rod 48 and fitting into the' notches in the lower edge thereof. A spring clip 52 secured to the devices 50 serves to attach said devices to the major member 45 of the frame of the control unit by snapping into a groove 53 thereof. Each control device 5D is provided at its rear end with a roller 54 which rides on the rail 38 and serves to support the rear edge of the control unit.

The column control devices carry a plurality of function control elements 55 for cooperating with the depressible control devices 3l. These elements 55 may, of course, be positioned as desired to contact various ones of the devices 8l and the different column control devices may be positioned as desired along the frame of the control unit. Y

The major member 45 of the control unit lift is provided with a pair .of upstanding tabs 55 and 51. In Fig. 1, the upper portion of tab 55 has been broken away and the lower portion of tab 5i has been broken away. Tab 56 is shown in Fig. 2.

The carriage I3 of the typewriting unit is provided with right and left hand locking members 58 and 59 for cooperating with the tabs 56 and 51. Each of the locking members is slidably mounted on a bracket SU provided on the typewriter carriage and is urged to locking position by a spring 6| extending between an upstanding ear 62 on the locking member and a pin 63 on the bracket 60. For guiding the locking members, each member is provided with an elongated slot 64 through which a headed screw 65 extends andv with a downwardly projecting pin @E extending into an open ended slot 61 in the bracket 68, as shown in Fig. 2. Each locking member is bifurcated as shown in Fig. 2 and the bifurcations serve to confine the tabs 56 and 5l and `cause the control unit to travel with the typewriter carriage.

Thus it will be seen that an accounting machine has been provided wherein all of the automatic controls are carried by the base section of thermachine. The control unit 44 may be quickly attached toithe typewriter carriage for movement thereby but said unit is supported entirely by the trackway comprising the rollers i2 and-43 and the rail 38. As the typewriter carriage moves 53,-.. to its various columnar positions due to operation of the usual decimal tabulator keys, various ones of the column control devices 50 will become effective to select the desired control elements 3 I.

the carriage and removed from the trackway so that it may be replaced by another control unit having a different set of column controldevices 58 for performing different work.

Having thus described the invention, what is- By merely pulling forward on the locking members 58 and 59, the control unit may be detached from-Y way directly to said base and supporting said trackway in proximity to said elements, a control unit mounted upon said trackway, said control unit comprising a plurality of column control devices for cooperating with said function controlling elements, a tabulatable carriage for said typewriter and interengaging means on said carriage and said control unit for connecting said control unit to said carriage whereby as said carriage is tabulated to various columnar positions the different column control devices will become effective upon the function controlling elements.

2. An` accounting machine comprising a comtion, said typewriting section including a letter spaceable carriage tabulatable to different columnal` positions, a plurality of depressible function control devices, means secured directly to said computing section for supporting said control devices, a trackway, means securing said trackway to said computing section and supporting said trackway in proximity to said control devices, function control `device selecting means mounted on said trackway, and quickly releasable interengaging means on said function control device selecting means and said letter spaceable carriage for connecting said function control device selecting means and said carriage for simultaneous movement.

3. In an accounting machine, a base section containing computing mechanism, a plurality of function control devices, means secured directly to said base section for mounting said control devices, a trackway, means securing said trackway to said base section and supporting said trackway in proximity to said control devices, a supersedeable control unit removably mounted upon said trackway for movement therealong, said control unit comprising a frame having a plurality of removable elements adjustably and selectively secured thereto, said function control devices and said elements being so arranged that as said control unit is moved along said trackway said elements will cooperate with selected ones of said control devices.

4. In an accounting machine, a base section containing computing mechanism and constructed and arranged to have a typewriting machine ng. associated therewith, a plurality of function conimity to said devices, acontrol unit mounted upon said trackway for movement therealong, said control unit comprising a plurality of elements, said function control devices and said elements'being so arranged that'as said control unit is moved along said trackway said' elements will cooperate with said function control devices to select various computing functions, and said control unit having means whereby same may be releasably connected with the carriage of a typewriting machine when atypewriting machine is associated with said computing base.

ARTHUR H. SHARPE.

"References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES P A'I'ENTS Number Y Name Date 1,186,520 Stickney June 6, 1916 1,237,980 Hart Aug. 21, 1917 l2,160,437 Pitman May so, '1939 

